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GGU Faculty Edit a New Book on Marijuana Legalization

Two GGU faculty members from the Executive Master of Public Administration (EMPA) program have published the only book of its kind that frames the full debate and issues relating to legal cannabis. Edited by Dr. Jay Gonzalez — Mayor George Christopher Professor of Public Administration and Chair of the EMPA Program — and Mick McGee, DPA — Associate Professor of Public Administration at GGU — Legal Marijuana: Perspectives on Public Benefits, Risks and Policy Approaches also includes contributions by EMPA alumni and students. The book includes 60 essays and is one of five books on public administration that McFarland Publishing has contracted with GGU through 2020.

Legalization of marijuana has spread rapidly throughout the U.S., from just a handful of states ten years ago to more than half including Washington D.C. In Canada, it is legal to use and distribute nationally. According to the book’s editors:

“Legalization seems to be a win-win: people who use cannabis for health and recreation are served, business is brisk, and many governments welcome the much-needed boost in tax revenue. But not everyone thinks so. The rapid pace of legalization has spurred debate among citizens, cities, states and the federal government.”The book is uniquely inclusive for its collections of various perspectives in this complicated and contentious environment. Says Gonzalez:

“It is a testament to the credibility we have as neutral academics that we could convince contributors who normally would not be in the same room together to be in a conversation in pages of this book.”

Dr. Jay GonzalezMick McGee, DPA

Four More Books on The Way

McFarland Publishing recognizes GGU’s unique capacity to contribute to practical, real-world solutions for pressing community problems locally and globally. No public administration program in the San Francisco Bay Area has been granted such trust, confidence, and respect. The topics of the upcoming titles, all edited by Gonzalez and McGee — along with occasional editors and contributors who are EMPA faculty, alums or students — are:

How cities, states, and the Feds are helping veterans

What cities are doing to reduce or entirely eliminate chronic homelessness

The opioid crisis

Senior-citizen services

Legal Marijuana: Perspectives on Public Benefits, Risk and Policy Approaches is available for preorder on Amazon.